What 85C Bakery Cafe does

85°C Bakery Cafe is a privately held bakery-cafe chain operating as Perfect 85 Degrees C, Inc. in the United States, with corporate headquarters in Brea, California. The company was founded in Taiwan in 2003 by Mr. Cheng-Hsueh Wu and opened its first US store in Irvine, California in November 2008. As of 2025, the brand operates 1,000+ locations globally and has expanded across 14 US states (California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Hawaii, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma). The company's core offering comprises freshly baked bread (50+ varieties baked hourly in-store), gourmet cakes crafted by master chefs, and handcrafted beverages anchored by the signature Sea Salt Coffee.

The business is built around a centralized production and distribution model supported by a 70,000-square-foot solar-powered central kitchen in Brea, California (opened October 2013) and a second central kitchen in Dallas, Texas (opened December 2021) servicing the central and southeast US. Digital infrastructure includes the 85°C mobile app with the Sweet Rewards loyalty program (VIP tier earned at 385 points), online ordering for pickup and delivery via DoorDash, and the 85°C at Home e-commerce shipping platform launched September 2021. Revenue is generated through company-owned retail bakery cafes, franchise locations (Ala Moana, Hawaii opened November 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah opened August 2023), e-commerce, gift cards, catering/party trays, and a fundraising program that donates 25% of sales to qualifying non-profits, schools, and community groups.

The primary customer segments are individual retail consumers (B2C walk-in), group event and catering customers (party trays, 96oz travelers), franchisees, and e-commerce buyers, with a horizontal segmentation approach. The US operations are governed by Perfect 85 Degrees C, Inc. with affiliated holding entities Winpin 85 Investments, LLC and WinStar 85, LLC managing franchise operations and real estate. Pricing is positioned as accessible premium relative to five-star hotel cafes; menu prices are not publicly disclosed. The company maintains CCPA compliance and integrates third-party platforms including Shopify (e-commerce), ShipStation (fulfillment), Paytronix (payments/rewards), and Tattle (customer feedback).

Name

85C Bakery Cafe

Legal name

Perfect 85 Degrees C, Inc.

Website

https://85cbakerycafe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

85°C Bakery Cafe is a Taiwanese-origin bakery-cafe chain operating 1,000+ locations globally with a growing US footprint across 14 states. It serves individual consumers and event planners with 50+ varieties of fresh-baked bread, gourmet cakes, handcrafted beverages, and a digital rewards ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Bakery and Coffee Shop

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Bread and Bakery Product Manufacturing (31181), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cafe-Bakeries (Coffee + Pastry Focus) (THAFADAG), Bread & Pastry Specialty Stores (CRAHAGAC), DTC Bakery & Desserts Delivery (AFAIANAF)

Keywords

• Specialty coffee retail
• Artisan bakery products
• Bakery cafe chain
• Fresh baked goods
• Coffee and pastries

Headquarters

HQ city

Brea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Retail Bakery Cafe Sales: Core revenue stream from in-store sales of freshly baked bread, pastries, cakes, and handcrafted beverages. Each store features over 50 varieties of pastries baked fresh hourly. Individual brewed coffee using Guatemalan coffee beans.
2. Online Ordering: Customers can place online orders for pickup or delivery through the 85°C app and website. Delivery available via DoorDash partnership. Points can be earned when placing online orders for pickup.
3. E-commerce - 85°C at Home: Ship-from-store e-commerce platform launched September 2021 enabling customers from all over the US to order popular items for home delivery. Operated on behalf of Perfect 85 Degrees C, Inc. by Shopify.com and Shipstation.com.
4. Franchise Fees and Royalty Income: 85°C offers franchise opportunities to qualified multi-unit restaurant management operators. First franchised location opened November 2022. Franchisees receive system support similar to company stores.
5. Gift Cards: Sale and reload of gift cards at US store locations. Gift cards can be purchased at any dollar amount greater than $10 and reloaded with any dollar amount. No service fees.
6. Catering and Party Trays: Catering services including Party Trays (Sweet Buns Tray, Savory Buns Tray, Little Cakes Tray) and 96oz Travelers (Jasmine Tea, Black Tea, Milk Tea, Iced Americano, 85°C Coffee, Hot Americano). Orders require 24 hours advance notice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

85C Bakery Cafe operates retail bakery cafes selling over 50 varieties of freshly baked pastries, gourmet cakes crafted by master chefs, and handcrafted beverages including the signature Sea Salt Coffee. Each store bakes goods fresh hourly and individually brews coffee using Guatemalan beans. Supporting offerings include a mobile rewards app (Sweet Rewards Program), online ordering for pickup/delivery, the 85C at Home nationwide shipping platform, gift cards, catering party trays, and a fundraising program.

Product overview

85°C Bakery Cafe is a global bakery-cafe chain with a unified product portfolio centered on freshly baked goods and handcrafted beverages. The core offering spans three main product lines: freshly baked breads/pastries (50+ varieties), gourmet cakes, and handcrafted drinks including the signature Sea Salt Coffee. Supporting the physical store experience, the company offers a digital ecosystem comprising the 85°C App with Sweet Rewards loyalty program for point earning/redemption and mobile payments, Online Ordering for pickup and delivery, and the 85°C at Home shipping service for nationwide e-commerce. Additional services include Gift Cards (physical and digital), a Fundraising Program for community organizations, Catering/Party Trays for events, and a Franchise Program for qualified operators. The brand operates company-owned and franchised locations across the US.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bakery Cafe Menu (Bread, Cake, and Drinks) Core in-store retail offering comprising over 50 varieties of freshly baked pastries (baked hourly), gourmet cakes crafted by award-winning master chefs, and handcrafted beverages including the signature Sea Salt Coffee. Targeted at individual consumers seeking affordable premium bakery and coffee experiences.
• 85C App with Sweet Rewards Program Proprietary mobile rewards application enabling customers to earn 1 point per $1 spent, redeem rewards, pursue VIP status (385 Degrees within 365 days), receive 50% off cake slices during their birthday month, access quarterly special rewards, perform mobile payments, and order ahead for pickup or delivery. Free Sea Salt Coffee is offered for new member sign-up.
• Online Ordering for Pickup and Delivery Digital ordering platform accessible via the 85C mobile app and website enabling customers to place orders for in-store pickup or delivery through DoorDash. Points are earned on qualifying online orders for pickup.
• 85C at Home E-commerce Shipping Service Nationwide ship-from-store e-commerce platform allowing customers across the US to order popular 85C bakery items for home delivery. Operated through a Shopify storefront with ShipStation fulfillment on behalf of Perfect 85 Degrees C, Inc.
• 85C Gift Cards (Physical and eGift) Reloadable physical and digital gift cards usable at any US 85C Bakery Cafe location, with no service fees and a minimum $10 purchase. eGift cards can be sent digitally via the guest account portal.
• Community Fundraising Program Community fundraising initiative enabling qualifying K-12 schools, universities, youth sports teams, libraries, community centers, and nonprofits (such as American Cancer Society, Animal Shelters, United Way) to earn 25% of sales from designated fundraiser events. A minimum $150 in sales is required to qualify for the donation.
• Catering and Party Trays Catering service offering Party Trays (Sweet Buns Tray, Savory Buns Tray, Little Cakes Tray) and 96oz Travelers (Jasmine Tea, Black Tea, Milk Tea, Iced Americano, 85C Coffee, Hot Americano) for group events. Orders require at least 24 hours advance notice.
• Franchise Program Franchise opportunity program targeting multi-unit restaurant management operators with leadership experience who are passionate about baking and customer service, granting rights to operate 85C Bakery Cafe locations with system support similar to company-owned stores.

Quantifiable outcome

• First US store in Irvine, CA received over 5,000 Yelp reviews
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cacao TracecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner85°C Bakery Cafe is proudly collaborating with Cacao Trace for a range of chocolate products. For every dollar spent on participating chocolate items, 85°C contributes to providing a fair wage for farmers in Vietnam, Mexico, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Philippines, and Papua New Guinea. This partnership demonstrates 85°C's commitment to sustainable farming and ethical sourcing.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership enabling customers to order 85°C products for delivery through the DoorDash platform.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves24 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Paris Baguette: Paris Baguette is the closest direct competitor to 85C Bakery Cafe — a Korean-origin bakery-cafe chain operating ~200+ US locations with similar product mix (fresh-baked bread, pastries, cakes, handcrafted beverages), comparable mall-and-streetfront real estate strategy, and the same accessible-premium positioning.
• Tous Les Jours: Tous Les Jours is another Korean-origin bakery-cafe chain with significant US presence, offering French-Asian fusion pastries, cakes, and coffee in a similar cafe setting. Direct overlap with 85C in product categories, target customer base (Asian-American communities), and price-point positioning.
• Einstein Bros Bagels: Einstein Bros Bagels operates a US bakery-cafe chain focused on breakfast and baked goods with handcrafted coffee, directly comparable to 85C's bakery-cafe model and daypart mix. Both compete for morning coffee-and-baked-goods occasions.
• Corner Bakery Cafe: Corner Bakery Cafe is a US bakery-cafe chain offering made-to-order breakfast, lunch, baked goods, and coffee in a similar cafe format to 85C. Overlapping product mix and customer demographic make it a direct comparison for US unit economics and traffic patterns.

Emerging players

• Crumbl Cookies: Crumbl is a rapidly scaling specialty cookie and dessert chain with 1,000+ US locations. It competes with 85C for premium dessert and gifting occasions and demonstrates the franchise-driven growth playbook that 85C is now adopting.
• Great Harvest Bread Co. Great Harvest Bread Co. is a US franchise bakery-cafe chain specializing in fresh-baked breads and baked goods, comparable to 85C on the bakery side. A relevant peer for franchise model comparisons and bakery unit economics in the US.

Broad incumbents

• Panera Bread: Panera Bread is the largest US bakery-cafe chain (~2,000 locations) and a broader incumbent in the same category as 85C, with overlapping bakery/coffee/lunch offerings. Panera sets the benchmark for bakery-cafe unit economics that 85C's smaller format must beat or match.
• Starbucks: Starbucks is the dominant US coffee chain and competes with 85C for premium coffee daypart and the 'affordable luxury' positioning. 85C's Sea Salt Coffee and Guatemalan single-origin brew compete in the same consumer wallet, particularly relevant given 85C's new drive-thru format.
• Dunkin': Dunkin' is a US coffee and donut chain with 13,000+ locations that competes with 85C's drive-thru strategy for morning coffee traffic and bakery snacking occasions. Relevant as 85C rolls out its drive-thru format and considers broader breakfast daypart.

Regional players

• Lavazza (Caffe Ferrara / Espresso Coffee Shops): Lavazza operates an international coffee-shop and bakery-cafe footprint with similar European coffee heritage and cafe-with-pastry model. Relevant as a global specialty coffee + bakery brand comparable to 85C's international positioning and product breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCi6ixg3i-Fsyjg7H7_jOF7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/85CBakeryCafe
• Instagraminstagram.com/85cbakerycafe
• Xx.com/85cbakerycafe

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 85C Bakery Cafe